Abandonment
by BloodScorpion
Summary: AU. James and Lily Potter never died all those years ago, but Voldemort was still defeated by sacrificing their son for the greater good. Harry Potter still survived and was still shipped off to the Dursleys, but doesn't get to stay there for very long. H
1. Chapter One

Abandonment

Chapter One – Seeing Them for the First Time

Harry James Potter was abandoned at only the age of one year and three months in order to combat his prophesied enemy, Lord Voldemort. Golems were left in place of James and Lily Potter. They sacrificed their first son in order to rid the world of its greatest enemy. James and Lily would survive while their son would most likely not survive. Harry, however, survived much to the shock of Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore, not believing it, took Harry away from the incident and hid him in the muggle world with Lily's sister, Petunia, and her family.

For three years Harry Potter lived an unhappy life with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. Always the slave and always being picked on. One day, Vernon decided to get rid of the low life living underneath his roof and threw him out onto the streets of London. Maybe the Fates were working with Harry Potter that day, as well as the one with his encounter with Voldemort, because he was coincidentally put in an alleyway not far from the Leaky Cauldron.

Later that same day, Harry found himself inside of the Leaky Cauldron being questioned by Tom the barkeeper, but could only give limited answers as he was only a four year old. Tom, however, could tell what was going on and took Harry under his wing. From that day forward Harry became a helper within all of Diagon Alley, learning all of the trades of the shops: making ice cream, caring for animals, reading and storing books, creating wands, mixing alcohol, making food, counting money, banking from Gringotts, and many other such trades.

This was the day, _the_ day. The day he left his surrogate family of seven years in order to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and get his education in becoming a wizard. It seemed a waste of time though, having lived with a book store right down the street all on wizards and their spells. He had been using a wand for near on four years already. What was the point of going to Hogwarts to relearn all that he had learned already?

Some things in life just did not make sense to eleven year old Harry James Potter. Of course, what sort of things made sense to an eleven year old? Well, in Harry's case, it would be most of Hogwarts' curriculum for all seven years and some other odds and ends that usually weren't taught at a school. The joys of being a non-normal, eleven year old wizard, especially one with piercing, emerald green eyes, unruly, raven black hair, and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

Harry Potter stood on platform 9 ¾ with William Ollivander and Matilda Malkin staring the Hogwarts Express in all its red and shining glory. He really didn't want to be here or going there. They were there. All of them, including the old man and his supposed parents. A hand by each guardian was set on his shoulders as they could see the darkening look in his eyes. They both knew he didn't want to go as did all of his guardians from Diagon Alley, but it had to be done, even if it was a waste of a year with no helper or to just take the O.W.L.'s this year and then N.E.W.T.'s next year.

Harry calmed down and turned a pleading look at Mr. Ollivander and Madam Malkin, but it had no effect on the two adults. That was it, the final contest, and he had lost. Not one of Harry's finer points in life, so close, yet so far. The Boy Who Lived gave the two adults a hug and went onto the train to await the up and most definitely coming conflicts that would arise when Harry got to Hogwarts.

The castle, to Harry and only Harry, didn't seem very impressive. Of course, he was most likely the only one not wanting to be there so he could probably care less about what the actual structure looked like. It housed, fed, and taught students, who cared about what it looked like?

Hagrid seemed like a nice enough person even if he was rather tall and large. He could always be seen around Diagon Alley either in The Leaky Cauldron getting drunk or checking the stores, typically in Knockturn Alley, for new animals he could raise. Professor McGonagall was a stern woman Harry knew from the stories children would tell as well as the adults; quite an impressive impact to affect an adult.

Entering the Great Hall, many of the first years were stupefied by the grandeur of things as well as the enchanted ceiling. A first year girl with brown hair was rattling off facts about the Great Hall and its enchanted ceiling.

Harry, however, slowed to a crawling walking speed as he looked up towards the head table. There sat Dumbledore in the middle in all his finery looking as if he had never abandoned a one year old to horrible muggle relatives. On the middle of the right side of the head table sat the two people Harry loathed more than Dumbledore even if it was just by a little bit, Professors James and Lily Potter. The nerve of them sitting at the table looking as if they never had a son, never had a son that they had sacrificed and abandoned.

Professor McGonagall took a stool and tattered hat out which came to life and sang a song. The Sorting proceeded then until the raven haired child's name had been come upon on the list. McGonagall took a slight hitch in her voice and stopped before the name could be said. She cast a confused look towards the Potters, to Dumbledore, and then back to the Potters. They had a child no one knew about? McGonagall regained her composure fairly quickly after her lapse and called out the name.

"Potter, Harry James!"

The name rang out into the Great Hall. No one moved. The Potters looked at each other in astonishment and fear. That name had not been uttered in ten years, not once, ever. Dumbledore lost a slight bit of twinkle in his eyes, his shoulders slouched slightly, and he took on a look of realization, he had forgotten about Harry for ten years. Hushed whispers broke out through the hall, 'the Potters have a son?'

However, Harry proceeded to the stool without a notion of being perturbed of being a first year or being the lost son of the Potters. Calm exterior and raging interior, Harry may have appeared calm, but his eyes and movements told otherwise that Professor Snape noted. Harry calmly sat on the stool and put the Sorting Hat on his head to escape the stares and whispers.

"Harry James..._Potter?_ Interesting, I was under the impression you died some ten years ago." Harry glared at the presence in his mind.

"People lie, unexpected things happen, people go on and forget things and other people. It is the past and that is where it shall remain." Harry glared at the presence in his mind again daring it to refute his statement.

"My, my Mr. Potter. Such determination and ambition, not to mention bravery and strength; also a very smart young lad. Ravenclaw might be good, but Gryffindor or Slytherin would better suit your attitude." Harry's glare strengthened. "Decisions, decisions, decisions...I shall put you in...GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry shrugged off the hat and without looking at a single person went and sat at the Gryffindor table. There was another momentary lapse of silence in the Great Hall as people tried to digest what had just transpired. Very few, if any, were able to digest, but the sorting continued after the very pregnant pause. Many cast a confused look at others, but the others only shrugged their shoulders not knowing of any answer that could be possible. Many also tried to catch the young boy's eyes, but were very unsuccessful as he seemed to try and glare at the plate in front of him into the afterlife.

The sorting continued as did the feast afterwards. Many students left this puzzle as they were too tired to deal with puzzle on the first night of a new school year. The Potters and most of the teachers, not including Snape, decided they would see Dumbledore in the morning to discuss who the boy was and what was to be done with him, if anything. Dumbledore, however, deemed it necessary that he brought the boy into his office tomorrow morning to discuss, well, the headmaster wasn't quite sure.


	2. Chapter Two

Abandonment

Chapter Two

It was early in the Headmaster's office. Too early it seemed for the Headmaster as he actually looked his age. He was half asleep with dark pools under his eyes. The Headmaster hadn't gotten much sleep that night seeing as how he had forgotten about Harry Potter, supposed dead son of James and Lily Potter. It didn't seem like it was going to be a good year with the start it had just had.

The young child in his office looked at him with emotionless eyes. The Headmaster calmly looked back into the child's eyes, but had to avert his eyes; those emerald green eyes were so much like his mother's. The hair, raven black and just as unruly as his father's. The child cleared his throat rather loudly bringing the Headmaster back to the present. The Headmaster sat up straighter, but still clearly did not know where to begin.

"I...Harry," a stern glance stopped that start of the topic, "Mr. Potter...how are the Dursleys?" Harry made an irritated noise in the back of his throat.

"I don't know I haven't seen them in seven years Headmaster." Dumbledore looked startled at this declaration.

"Why would you not know how the Dursleys are, you just saw them yesterday?" Harry looked annoyed.

"I would think that I wouldn't miss seeing a large oaf of a man, a horse faced woman, and a whale sized child, but apparently I did." Harry stopped a moment. "I haven't seen the Dursleys in seven years Headmaster since they dropped me off in London. That is why I don't know."

There was silence in the room. The old headmasters and headmistresses that hung on the walls were silent, all were wide awake and watching the exchange. Fawkes, the Headmaster's phoenix, stood silently on his perch also, not making any movement. Headmaster Dumbledore looked down at his desk in shock and remorse not daring to make eye contact. Harry, on the other hand, gazed at Dumbledore with angry and blazing eyes.

"Where...where have you been the last seven years then Harry...Mr. Potter?" Harry made an impatient noise in the back of his throat, clearly not wanting to be here of all places answering questions.

"I have been somewhere safe where I was cared for by people who cared about me. Not by people who would sacrifice their son or by people who forget other people. Not by people who would abandon an infant."

A pointed look was thrown at Dumbledore. Dumbledore slumped in defeat. He knew he was defeated, that he had been condemned by his actions ten years prior. There was no way to escape it. He had thought he been thinking in the best interest for all, but that wasn't so.

A one year old sacrificed to a dark lord so that the rest of the world may live on in peace because of a prophecy. It was selfish and immoral, sacrificing an infant. There was no good reason after ten years in Dumbledore's mind, just an act of desperation to stop the spreading darkness.

Harry cast one last emblazoned look at Dumbledore before turning and exiting the Headmaster's office. The peace was quickly thrown out the window when Harry reached the bottom of steps behind the gargoyle statue. There was James and Lily Potter standing there. They both looked like they hadn't slept last night. Lily had puffy, red eyes, she had spent the night crying; James looked haggard and worn, he had spent the night trying to comfort his wife and not cry, trying to stay strong for his wife. Harry gave a loathing at them both before stomping off in the general direction of the Great Hall.

Harry was sitting at the very end of Gryffindor table as far away from the head table as possible when the teachers arrived at the beginning of breakfast. No other students were in the Great Hall yet. All looked at the young child sitting alone glowering at the plate sitting in front of him. Most were confused while a few were sad and felt pity for the child. Hogwarts' Potions Master was more than confused though. Why hadn't Potter and Lily kept their son? It hadn't made any sense. But then again, there had been that article in _The Daily Prophet_ after their supposed death.

_He Who Must Not Be Named Defeated in a Trap_

_Last night He Who Must Not Be Named was defeated in a trap last night at Godric's Hollow set up by James and Lily Potter and Albus Dumbledore. The Potters were long hunted by the Dark Lord especially after their child was born. However, their son wasn't really a child, but the beginnings of a ploy set up by the Potters and Dumbledore. The child was a golem. _

_In September the Potters cast themselves under the Fidelius Charm, but used golems instead of themselves. Their secret keeper, believed to be Sirius Black, was actually Peter Pettigrew and was betrayed by him. Pettigrew was a servant to the Dark Lord and him the secret location of the Potters. Pettigrew was found and will supposedly serve a life sentence in Azkaban._

There was little more to the article as it repeated itself and then went on into the lives of both James and Lily Potter. Snape looked at the child once more, they had lied to everyone, they had had a child and he was still alive. Although how he had survived the demolition of Godric's Hollow without being severely injured was amazing. Snape shook his head, it didn't matter to him, he was still a Potter and he _had_ his father's personality.

Although, Snape thought, there was the way Lily and Potter changed after the attack. They had both seemed sad, very sad, almost as if the child had been real. It was like the Potters had grown attached to their golem child, acted as if it had actually been real. Lily and Potter had just started coming out of their self-imposed depression. They each still had a haunted look in their eyes, but they were coming out of their shells.

Snape looked towards the supposed Potter child. Damn this child whoever he was for making Lily upset.

All of the students and teachers were sitting in their seats at their respective tables with many casting glances at the unknown kid of Gryffindor. The morning mail arrived on time as per usual at Hogwarts and owls flooded the air above all of the tables. Many of the student only received one owl or no owl at hall; the unknown kid received a total of thirteen owls. Many stared at him and all of the owls hovering around him waiting to relieve there load of packages.

Harry groaned very loudly at all of the packages, no doubt all late ordered something-or-others that his caretakers wanted him to give out. Very quickly he off-loaded all of the packages from the owls, arranged the packages into orderly piles, and sent the owls back on their way. Without a care to what ever was in the packages, Harry banished them all to their respective owners with a flick of his wand.

There were several letters left after all the packages were gone. All except one was for Harry; the one was addressed to the traitors, his parents. He wanted to burn that letter just for it being for the traitors, but he didn't, instead he banished it away to its recipient without a further thought.

Harry would have to deal with the traitors for the next two years. The less contact with them, the less likely he would be to vent. This venting would most likely be far worse than the venting he had had when he first learned of his parents abandoning him. However, Fate was already working against him: Charms with Professor Evans first thing followed by History of Magic with Professor Potter. Harry really wished those hadn't been core classes.

Harry stuffed the letters away in his book bag to be read later as classes were going to start soon.

Nobody noticed that morning at breakfast that Professors Evans and Potter were missing from the Head Table nor did they notice the slump in Dumbledore's shoulders or his twinkle-less eyes.


End file.
